Telecommunication systems, such as cellular networks or other wireless networks, provide wireless services to a plurality of wireless devices in a variety of conditions. For example, an access node may serve a group of wireless devices that experience strong signal conditions while other wireless devices experience poor signal conditions. In some cases, a system may leverage various techniques, such as beamforming, to better serve wireless devices with poor signal conditions. However, such techniques may interfere with other communication between the access node and wireless devices. Accordingly, a system that effectively detects interference caused by such techniques and, in some cases, effectively mitigates the interference can provide enhanced service to users of the system.
Overview
Systems and methods are described for detecting interference at an access node. A rate at which packets are unsuccessful received at a wireless device may be monitored, wherein the wireless device is in communication with a cell of an access node. The access node may retransmit one or more unsuccessfully received packets to the wireless device. A retransmission metric for retransmission attempts to the wireless device from the access node may be monitored. And it may be determined that communication between the cell of the access node and the wireless device is experiencing interference from a neighboring cell when the monitored rate and monitored retransmission metric meet the interference criteria.
Systems and methods are also described for mitigating interference at an access node. It may determined, based on an interference metric for a first wireless device exceeding an interference criteria, that communication between the first wireless device and a cell of an access node is experiencing interference from a neighboring cell. At least one neighboring cell in which one or more beamformed signals are transmitted is identified as a potential interference source. The identified neighboring cell may be instructed to terminate transmission of a beamformed signal to at least a second wireless device. It may then be determined whether the interference metric for the first wireless device continues to exceed the interference criteria after the termination of the beamformed signal. And the second wireless device may be identified as an interference source when the interference metric for the first wireless device does not continue to exceed the interference criteria.
Systems and methods are also described for mitigating interference at an access node. It may be determined, based on an interference metric for a first wireless device exceeding an interference criteria, that communication between the first wireless device and a cell of an access node is experiencing interference from a neighboring cell. A second wireless device receiving a beamformed transmission may be identified, wherein the beamformed transmission to the second wireless device is identified as an interference source for communication between the first wireless device and the cell of the access node. Transmissions to the first wireless device and the second wireless device may be scheduled such that the scheduled timings for transmissions to the first wireless device are different from the scheduling timings for transmissions to the second wireless device.